Nature-inclusive solutions at Dutch Design Week 2025
From 18 to 26 October 2025, our 3D-printed nature-inclusive solutions, such as artificial reefs and fish hotels, were on show at Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven. They were part of the exhibition The gain where land meets water by Dura Vermeer and landscape architects Copijn.
Building as a landscape
The exhibition was part of HUB Bouw aan Morgen (Build Tomorrow), an exhibition and programme on sustainable and regenerative construction. Biobased Creations hosted the hub in the Melkfabriek at De Caai, the former Campina site along the Eindhoven canal.
Dura Vermeer and Copijn showed how the hard edge between land and water can become a lively transition zone. They did so through three cases: the renovation of a historic city quay, the redesign of a wide waterway and the redevelopment of an industrial harbour area.
A quay full of life
When a historic quay is renovated, heritage and biodiversity can go hand in hand through small, smart interventions such as floating gardens, nest boxes, artificial reefs and fish hotels. Our printed elements showed what such interventions look like in practice. Hollow, stacked shapes give fish shelter, a place to spawn and room to grow. The rough surface gives algae, mussels and water plants something to hold on to. Because we print without moulds, we tailor every shape to the species and the site.
These solutions are no longer a concept. Together with Dura Vermeer and ecologists we developed fish hotels for the Amsterdam canals, where they are now under water.
Green-Blue Coalition
The project is part of the Green-Blue Coalition: a long-term collaboration between designers, ecologists, policymakers, builders and knowledge partners. The aim is to combine knowledge, materials, designs and construction methods into a future-proof living environment. A quay then becomes more than a structure: it is also a place for nature, cooling and clean water.
Want to know more about our nature-inclusive solutions? See the product page or get in touch.
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